Famous Actor Sacrifices Career For Refusing To Do Sex Scenes, But Comes Out Triumphant

If you're going to be married to an actor, Neal McDonough is the kind you want to be with. Though he has been in over 100 movies now, the deeply religious actor has refused to kiss another woman besides his wife.

“I won’t kiss any other woman because these lips are meant for one woman,” he says of his wife Ruvé, the mother of his five children (ranging from 4 to 13).

McDonough, 52, is famous for his roles in Band of Brothers, Flags of our Fathers, Desperate Housewives, and Justified. Though he is not a household name, he is definitely recognizable. He jokes that his wife says he should write a book called "Just Famous Enough."

McDonough had a candid interview with Closer Weekly that makes us admire him so much! When asked about his experience maintaining his values of no kissing and no sex scenes, McDonough shares that it really cost him a lot.

While filming the show Scoundrels, McDonough refused to perform sex scenes with costar Virginia Madsen. He was immediately fired. When asked if he was surprised by the dismissal, McDonough said, "I was, and it was a horrible situation for me. After that, I couldn’t get a job because everybody thought I was this religious zealot. I am very religious. I put God and family first, and me second. That’s what I live by. It was hard for a few years. Then [Band of Brothers producer] Graham Yost called me and said, 'Hey, I want you to be the bad guy on Justified.' I knew that was my shot back at the title."

Not all directors were so intolerant, though. The creator of Desperate Housewives worked hard to accommodate the Catholic actor's beliefs. "When [creator] Marc Cherry signed me, I said, 'I’m sure you know, but I won’t kiss anybody.' He was like, 'But this is Desperate Housewives!' I said, 'I know.' He paused for about five seconds and said, 'All right, I’m just going to have to write better.' And we had a great time," shared McDonough.

While many would hear of the actor's loyalty and think how lucky his wife must be, McDonough is the one who feels fortunate. "Almost 20 years, five kids and just one heck of an awesome life later, to have her as my partner in everything, I’m just the most blessed guy I know. That’s why I go to church every day and say thank you to God for everything he’s given me. And most importantly, thank you for giving me Ruvé, because without her, I most certainly would not be talking with you right now" shared the actor.

McDonough sees the bright side of being temporarily blacklisted for his marital fidelity. "I think my acting got so much better because I really appreciated it. I took a shot on the chin, but I was not going to lose the fight. And it worked. My career has been phenomenal ever since," he says.

Next, McDonough is playing a 1950's Air Force General in Project Blue Book. His ongoing career is as much as shock to him as to anyone. "If you had told me back then that I would be in 100 movies, I would’ve just laughed. It’s pretty remarkable all the people I’ve gotten to work with and all the places I’ve gotten to travel to. And believe me, I appreciate every second of it."

Wow, what an amazing actor, to have been so faithful to God and his wife, even in the face of losing work over it! What do you think of McDonough's faithfulness to his wife and the way God honored his career? Share your thoughts in the comments! Thank you.